Personal Statement

Take your future in your own hands and look forward to creating the life you want with our tips for creating that all important UCAS personal statement.

We ask all applicants to include a personal statement as part of their application. In order to help you understand what we look for when we read your personal statement, we interviewed some of our academics and folk from the recruitment and admissions teams for our applicant magazine – take a read, we hope it will help:

When researching this article, we of course went straight to the UCAS website where they naturally do a pretty good job of summing up how to use their system. Instead of repeating it, we thought we would elaborate on the emotion of writing your personal statement and share some tips on how to write a killer one, the kind that when we receive it we smile and look forward to offering that potential student a place on one of our courses…

Naturally researching each institution is vital to see not only what they offer, but also what they’re looking for from you. Grades are one thing, character is another. In-fact, in terms of a career in the creative industries, a good imagination and the focus to use it is just as vital as applying yourself to your studies.

Your personal statement is your chance to show how your personality, experience and attitude will fit the spec of your desired course, here’s what we hope to see illustrated…

TECHNOLOGY

All of the creative courses we offer require you to be, or show a willingness to become, tech savvy. For many the idea of geeking out for hours utilising the equipment in our multi-million pound studios is heaven. We lecture all of our students from the ground up on how to use every inch of our technology from Steadicams and Reds to consoles and Maya software. If you have experience in the tech then write about that in your statement, equally, if you haven’t had access to the tech then sheer enthusiasm to get your hands on it and learn will convince us…

WORKING WITH OTHERS

Sometimes you’ll be working as part of a group which means that it’s essential that you are excited about meeting people from all over the world and all walks of life and can listen to their ideas and work together to achieve creative genius.

Other times you’ll be secluded with just the sound of your own imagination, instinct, and drive to push you forwards. Illustrate that you’re capable of both to study and work in the creative industries. Listing examples of both in a relevant format is essential on your statement.

WILLINGNESS TO LEARN

Don’t be afraid not to know everything – in fact, saying that you’re intrigued by a particular subject and can’t wait to learn more will get you far more respect than thinking that you know everything, which of course you can’t, just yet…

No matter how many YouTube videos you may have watched, we are professionals at what we teach, many of our lecturers are industry greats themselves. Having an open mind to being taught the precise ways on how the industry works, to learn how to then switch it to your advantage and develop your skills is essential.

Because we know you want to get out into the creative world and start working on projects we’ve squeezed the degree into two years – who needs that massive summer break anyway? A willingness to bottle down and get creative, immerse yourself in the daily routine and studio life at SAE Institute whilst learning all you can from our in-house legends is something that needs to be shown on your statement.

HONEST ABOUT WHO YOU ARE

What makes you tick? When did you first discover your love of music? When did you first pick up your own camera? When did you play your first video game and think, I want to make my own one of these? It’s your personal statement so any relevant personal bits that pertain to your character and the course should definitely be included.

WORK EXPERIENCE

If you’re experienced and have been playing around for years – great. If you’re completely intrigued about cameras or can think of nothing better than learning how to use one of the consoles or want to bring a games idea to life then we want to hear from you.

If you have absolutely none of the above but are passionate about wanting to learn your craft and make your mark on the creative industries. Great. We want to hear from you.

If you have no experience yet, it doesn’t matter. The one thing that bonds everyone together at SAE Institute is their passion to create. We can teach you the rest, just persuade us that you want to learn and be the best.

ESSENTIALS

Your personal statement remains the same for each college or university that you apply to so refrain from mentioning any names in it. Instead focus on your positive attributes and make sure that they match the attributes of the course, not the place.

After your personal statement has been sent in to UCAS it cannot be altered in any way so make sure your advisor has read over it and proof read it for any mistakes beforehand to give you a flying start.

Be original – UCAS use software to scan all personal statements so beware of doubling up with your best mate’s application, they will both be flagged and every institution you’ve applied to will be notified of your copying antics.

Part of the Navitas Group

SAE Institute is a Partner Institution of Middlesex University with whom it has validated its European degree programmes delivered at its UK, European and selected external campuses. SAE Institute's European higher education programmes comply with the requirements of the UK Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education and the Framework for Qualifications of the European Higher Education Area (FQ-EHEA).